Control mechanism for weightless window sashes



March 21, 1950' J- SCIACCA CONTROL MECHANISM-FOR WEIGHTLESS WINDOWSASHES Filed Oct. 29, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Moss/w Sc/A cm A TTOR/VEY March 21, 1950 J. sclAccA 2,501,586

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR WEIGHTLESS WINDOW SASHES Filed 001;.29', 1947 v 2Sheets-Sheet 2 UUUUUUUUUU IN VEN TOR. JOSEPH 5c M c-OA ATTORNEY PatentedMar. 21, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL MECHANISM FORWEIGH'ILESS WINDOW SASHES J oseph Sciacca, New York, N; Y.

Application October 29, 1947-, SerialNo. 782,819

4 Claims. (01. 16- 193) This invention relates to weightless windows andespecially to sash control means for retaining the sashes of a, windowin any attained positions while allowing said sashes to be manuallyraised or lowered, at will.

The main object of my inventionv is to simplify the construction ofwindows having movable sashes and also to save material and space byavoiding the necessity of. using a pair of. iron sash weights for eachsash, andextra wood or metal for enclosing said weights.

Another object is to. provide a .sash control mechanism whichsimultaneously controls one side of two sashes.

A further object, i to provide. such sash control mechanism which takes,up, a minimum of space and is, easily installed, even in limitedquarters.

A yet further objectis to provide a pair of such mechanisms for eachwindowlat low cost and. of reasonably simple construction, so thatthesame may be readily. servicedor replaced when necessary.

It is also an objectto introduce such sash control mechanisms, which maybe adjusted by. an accessible adjustment means.

Other objects andadvantagescof the invention willappear. in furtherdetail as the specification proceeds.

In order to, facilitate comprehensive appreciationof the presentinvention and its features, the same is illustrated in apracticalembodiment in the. accompanying drawings forming part hereof, andinwhich,

Figure .1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a window equipped withsash control mechanisms according to the invention, the sashes being ofthe weightless type;

Figure 2v is a partialsection taken vertically on line 2--2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view. of the mechanism and adjacent.sash portions partially shown in FigureZ,v certain portions of thewindow frame being removed to reveal details;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the same,

on line G-JinFigure 3;

Figure 5 is a .verticalsection-taken an line 5-5 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 another verticalsection taken on line 5.6,in Figured, thepartsbeingarranged as also, shown in, Figure ,3;

Figure 7 is av rear view of the ssashcontrol mechanism appearing, inFigure 6.

Throughout theviews, the same orlikereier ence numerals indicate thesame or likeparts.

It is common experience to find it necessary to repair broken sashcords,and even when sash chains are used, repairs and adjustments aresometimes necessary, In each case, the window frame must belopened atthe sides in order to obtain access to the sash weights, and time islost and partial defacement of the window frame occurs whichmust then bepatched and painted to cover the broken or scratched surfaces. It. isobvious that in a conventional window having its two sashescounterbalanced by sash weights, four weights to the window, the latterweight form a serious loss of metal withdrawnfrom the mar ket, while thewood casing forming part of the window frame. alsoiorms a wastev of woodwhich could have been usedforother and more essential construction. Inaddition, the space required to house the sash weights and allowing fortheir vertical travelcould well be occupied by firm wall structure andis thus waste space. All these features of the conventionaltype ofwindow construction belong toa more leisurely and wasteful age, andhence call for replacement by modern means.

I have found that it is possible to eliminate the sash weights, sashcords or chainsand portions of the window framehousing them, and insteadintroducetwo small sash control mechanisms in the sides of the windowframe on a simplified window, so that the construction of the latter ismore compact and uses less material andspace than heretofore.

Thus, in the practice of my invention, and referring now again to thedrawings, a window frame, generally indicated at 9 ha a pairof sashesl0. and Il, adapted to be raised and lowered in said frame inconventional manner, As

may be seen best in Figure 2, the bottoml2 of upper sash It formsaclosure with the upper portion I 3 of lower sash H, the sashes beingguided in well known manner by inner and outer strips 14 and i5, whilethe two are separated by a pair of aligned intermediate strips It, H,the guide and separating strips being similar at both sides of thewindow frame. As other features and details also correspond at bothsides, the mechanism and features of the left side of the window will bedescribed and should be understood as repeated in detail. at the rightside of the same window and its frame.

At the pointbetween the-ends of the intermedi; ate strips, l6. and II,at the level of the lower end [2 of theupper sash and the upper end I3of the lower sash, is located an inner guide roller IBengaging againstsash ll, while exteriorly of sash Illis a.

similar guide roller 19, both rollers forming portions of a controlmechanism mounted on an anchor plate shown in Figures 3 to 6, which isnormally screwed or fastened to the side 2! of the window frame beneathstrips l4 and i5. The rollers rotate upon a pair of studs 22, 23 fixedupon plates or brackets 24, at the rear of anchor plate 20, bracket 25being directly secured to plate 20 by means of rivets or screws 26, 26.The studs in both cases pass through anchor plate 20, stud 22 having aclearance slot 21 in said plate to allow movement of bracket 24 (Figure4) and this bracket having a pair of rigidly attached studs 28, 29extending through a pair of guide slots 30, 3| in the anchor plate 20.Intermediate roller I 8 and said anchor plate is mounted a cover plate32 for covering the studs 28, 29 and their slots 3D, 3!, and normallyitself being covered by window strip [4, and only exposin the roller.The purpose of the two rollers is to hold the sashes in lin with theirproper movement up and down, and especially to hold them against themain operating portions of the sash control mechanism now to be moreminutely described, but in order to effect this purpose, bracket 25 hasa pair of lugs 33, 34 and bracket 24 the lugs 35, 36, all formingbearings for an ad- Justina shaft 31. To lugs 34 and 35 is attached atension spring 38 tending to draw bracket 24 toward bracket 25, thetension of said spring 5 being adjustable by manually rotating shaft 31by means of a finger wheel 38 exposed through slot 39 in plate 20, theinner end of this shaft being threaded at 4!) and engaging in a nut tilmounted or formed within 111g 34 Of bracket 25. A compression spring 42is mounted upon the shaft between the finger wheel 38 and takes againstlug 35 of bracket 24 so that this bracket tends to be pushed therebytoward bracket 25, and thus roller I8 is pressed against sash ii.

In the control mechanism, a group of screws or studs secured to plate 20at 43, 43, etc., supports a smaller frame plate 44 in spaced relation toplate 25 just mentioned, and between these two plates are fixed twoscrews or studs 45, 45 spaced a short distance apart and extendingthrough slots 46, 48 in a double pointed pawl 41, mounted upon saidstuds between the plates. Upon the facing edges of sashes i0 and H areattached rack strips 48, 49 having spaced teeth 50, 50, etc., with whichthe pawl is adapted to engage simultaneousl on both sashes, the featureof roller 18 with its mounting being adapted to shift resilientlyfacilitating the movement of the sashes and momentary jumping of thepawl past the teeth 58 in either rack strip while forcibly shiftingeither sash by hand. In order to prevent jamming or binding, and insteadmaintaining the proper spacing between the sashes without friction, aspacing ring or roller 5! is also mounted loosely about the studs 45 andprevents the pawl from entering unduly far between the rack teeth; thisroller 5| thus serving, as it were as an antifriction roller bearingbetween the two sashes. A spacing block 52 serves to space the parts inmost advantageous position, the studs 45 extending through said blockand the latter being secured to plate 20.

The two intermediate studs 43 also serve as fulcrums for a pair ofcorresponding rocking yokes 53, 54 enveloping portions of the pawl andring just described, each yoke having a pair of ball bearings 55, 55spaced apart a distance which causes both balls in each yoke to registerwith spaces between teeth 50 of the rack strips 48 and 49 on bothsashes. These yokes virtually form ball cages for the ball bearings andare mutually spaced just far enough apart upon studs 43, 43 to alloweach to clear the other during upward or downward movement of thesashes.

When a sash is to be raised, the pawl 41 and also the ball bearings inthe yoke pertaining to that sash tend to resist the movement, but whensufficient force is applied, the pawl and also the ball bearingsmentioned will jump the teeth in the corresponding sash rack stri untilthe sash is stopped in desired position, at which time the balls andpawl will instantly enter the spaces between the teeth adjacent theretoand will definitely prevent any accidental dropping or shifting of thesash.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to and parts and features may bemodified or used without others within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In a mechanism for weightless window sashes, in combination, a frame,a pair of sashes, a support unit on said window-frame, toothed rackstrips on opposingly facing sides of said sashes, a movable pawl on saidsupport unit intermediately disposed between said sashes and said stripsthereon so as to engage said teeth thereon, said unit comprisingauxiliary roller means disposed between said sashes so as to engageintermittently depressions between said teeth on said strips, and meanson other sides of said sashes, facing said frame, said means beingadapted to '1 glidingly move said sashes from opposite directions towardsaid pawl.

2. In a mechanism for weightless window sashes, the combinationaccording to claim 1, wherein said means comprises a fixed plate on saidunit,

' and adjustable plate slidably movable within slots in said unit, studson said respective plates, rollers on said studs, glidingly engaging theouter sides of said sashes, lugs on said respective plates,

, a shaft extending through said lugs, said shaft so that normally saidpawl'will fasteningly en having a threaded end in engagement with arespective one of said lugs, spring means surrounding said shaft holdingsaid plates in spaced relation with respect to each other and a fixedadlusting wheel on said shaft to rotate the same and thus vary therespective distance of said lugs, said studs and said rollers withrespect to each other so as to exert opposed pressure thereof upon saidsashes and said pawl therebetween.

3. In a mechanism for weightless window sashes, in combination, asupport member on the window frame, a pair of toothed rack strips onrespective window sashes, means to resiliently move said sashes towardseach other, a movable pawl on said support member, said pawl projectinginto the space between said sashes and said toothed rack strips so as toengage respective teeth thereof, simultaneously, a rocking yoke on saidsupport member extending above and below said pawl, said yoke comprisingballcages and ballbearings therein, so disposed between said sashes asto engage and glidinglyspace apart said strips and said sashes, and aspacing ring under said pawl to maintain said sashes in spaced apartrelation with. respect to said pawl and said yokes.

4. In a mechanism for weightless window sashes, the combinationaccording to claim 3, wherein said spacing ring and said pawl on onehand, and said resilient means on the other hand effect pressure uponsaid sashes in opposing directions,

6 gage opposite teeth on said strips tnus maintain- I REFERENCES CITEDmg saxd sashes 1n fixed position, whlle, when sald sashes are forciblydisplaced, said yokes by means Th f0 0win fer nces are of record 1n theof said balls will enlarge the distance between m f h pa nt: satd stripsand thus disengage said pawl from 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS sa1drespectlve teeth.

Number Name Date JOSEPH SCIACCA 1,628,346 White May 10, 1927 1,970,653Hendrix Aug. 21, 1934

